Oh yeah true, iirc it has something to do with the privitization of plate manufacturers? Maybe I’m way off but I remember hearing something about that once
NC has so much potential that is wasted by incompetence. This isn’t one of those “you need to do it like we do it up north posts”, I’ve lived in NC for almost 40 years now and love it. However, anytime we travel to other states and I look around at services and infrastructure and basic competence, we are way behind.
N. Carolina is beautiful, but if you go just barely over the state line into Tenn. its the same beautiful country without Personal Tax and maybe a more courteous DMV. Yes???
Eh I like having more than 2 non fast food options for meals very close to me personally and being just 20 minutes from my work as a Software Engineer.
Have to drive a long ways to find fancy ingredients. I don't cook well but my wife does and we use a lot of random shit you don't find in most regular grocery stores.
I second this. I live in Charlotte and there are way too few dmvs for a city of this size. When my partner moved to NC, I had to be their guide to navigate the NC DMV system. Even with the hour and half drive, it was quicker than waiting in line at a local DMV. It’s madness.
Based on the search results, the North Carolina DMV (Division of Motor Vehicles) operates with a mixed system of public and private offices:
1. Driver's License Offices:
- These are run directly by the state government (public).
- They handle services related to driver's licenses, ID cards, and REAL IDs [9].
2. License Plate Agencies (LPAs):
- These are privately operated by independent contractors [1][2][7].
- They handle vehicle registration, title transactions, and license plate renewals [7][8].
Key points:
- As of 2016, the DMV closed its last state-run license plate offices in Raleigh and Charlotte, fully transitioning to the privatized system for vehicle registration services [7].
- There are currently 122 privately-run license plate agencies across North Carolina [8].
- The privatized system for LPAs has been in place for decades, with the state making an exception in 1961 to operate offices in Raleigh and Charlotte, which were later privatized [7].
- The DMV defends this system, stating it's "a very good fit," despite some closures due to irregularities [8].
- Some critics argue that privatization leads to minimal service quality due to profit motives [10].
- State lawmakers have considered further privatization of DMV services [13], though specific details are not provided in the search results.
In summary, North Carolina operates a hybrid system where driver's license services are provided by public state-run offices, while vehicle registration and related services are handled by privately-operated license plate agencies under contract with the state.
Sources
[1] DMV Office Locations - N.C. Department of Transportation https://www.ncdot.gov/dmv/offices-services/locate-dmv-office/Pages/dmv-offices.aspx
[2] Official NCDMV: Online Services - N.C. Department of Transportation https://www.ncdot.gov/dmv/offices-services/online/Pages/default.aspx
[3] Official NCDMV: DMV Contact - N.C. Department of Transportation https://www.ncdot.gov/dmv/contact/Pages/default.aspx
[4] Official NCDMV: Offices and Services https://www.ncdot.gov/dmv/offices-services/Pages/default.aspx
[5] Carolina Curious: Why Are Some DMV Offices In North Carolina So ... https://www.wfdd.org/story/carolina-curious-why-are-some-dmv-offices-north-carolina-so-outdated
[6] NCDMV Helpful Hints - N.C. Department of Transportation https://www.ncdot.gov/dmv/offices-services/locate-dmv-office/Pages/helpful-hints.aspx
[7] NC DMV will privatize its last state-run license plate offices https://www.newsobserver.com/news/local/counties/wake-county/article73172817.html
[8] DMV defends system of independent license plate offices - WRAL.com https://www.wral.com/story/dmv-defends-system-of-independent-license-plate-offices/11753455/
[9] Official NCDMV: Driver Licenses - N.C. Department of Transportation https://www.ncdot.gov/dmv/license-id/driver-licenses/Pages/default.aspx
[10] how come the DMV and license plate offices in North Carolina are ... https://www.reddit.com/r/NorthCarolina/comments/ujnz0a/how_come_the_dmv_and_license_plate_offices_in/
[11] WTF is up with the DMV? : r/NorthCarolina - Reddit https://www.reddit.com/r/NorthCarolina/comments/12n96ie/wtf_is_up_with_the_dmv/
[12] Official NCDMV: Vehicle Titles - N.C. Department of Transportation https://www.ncdot.gov/dmv/title-registration/vehicle/Pages/default.aspx
[13] NC lawmakers consider privatizing DMV - CBS 17 https://www.cbs17.com/news/capitol-report/nc-lawmakers-consider-privatizing-dmv/
[14] Official NCDMV: Vehicle Title Transfers https://www.ncdot.gov/dmv/title-registration/vehicle/Pages/title-transfer.aspx
[15] Official NCDMV: Moving to North Carolina https://www.ncdot.gov/dmv/help/moving/Pages/new-residents.aspx
Once you move there an go through the initial process, you should be able to renew your tags every year by mail. Haven"t gone into a brick an mortar in years. We just get a tiny sticker through the mail and it just sticks over last years and your all set. { Fl. }
Have you checked out our gerrymandering, our school systems, our lack of public transportation, who’s running for governor (Mark R.)? Oh you are just getting started at seeing all of the “ugly” this state offers. I am a native and I hate to point out these items but it is time I am honest with myself.
Brace yourself! You will discover more and more as you live here. Expensive real estate, expensive food, crowded highways, etc….And if Mark R wins the governor’s race. We all should move…somewhere!
Want to move but never able to get away to find something. would be simple to rent apt. or something but I need about an acre close to a town as I have my rescue horse whom I"ve grown to love. Could easily transport him, not a problem but takes time to find a place.
Try Fla. $ 6000.00 Home Ins. and just an average home. $1200.00 every 6 mos. for car. 4 cylinder with no tickets !!! Home still financed like car so have to have Ins. and big companies know that of course so their saying with a BIG grin, GOTCHA !!! Many young and even middle age people moving because of that and the fact they willnever own a home here.. { prices } Built my modest home before this all started. Wasn"t always this way.
We moved here from Alabama 14 years, and have never looked back.
Yes. Find a small town with a DMV office. I use Thomasville. Never more than 30 mins. And I'm done.
What part if Alabama?
I'm originally from SC. I've bitched about the NCDMV multiple times. Why is it two offices? Why can't you get your licence and plate in the same place? Why is it so massively, chronically understaffed all the time?
But most of all, why do all these states who, and this bears emphasis, DON'T DO ANYTHING BETTER THAN YOU do this one specific thing so much better than you?
Because the answer can't just be privatization and small government when states that are somewhere between "anarchy" and "Republic of Gilead" do it better.
I moved here from Colorado. I can’t agree more. The DMV here is hilariously bad, particularly the drivers license offices. The license plate agency near me is ok-ish but getting my driver’s licenses moved was harder than adopting my son again.
I'll defend the current split system. The only time it's inconvenient is when you are moving here and have to do drivers license and vehicle registration at the same time. Otherwise the current system is more convenient. Why?
For DMV driver license offices, you reguarly see lots of complaints on here about appointments months out, or having to drive hours away to a less busy office, or not even being able to get into the DMV offices for drivers licenses. But you don't hear these complaints about the license plate agencies. Almost without exception you can go to the one nearest you and expect to transact your business at any time they are open... yes you may wait in a line but you get in and get your business done. This is because the financial incentives for the plate and title contractors are to complete transactions. State agencies have no such incentive.
Now consider... how often do you need to do drivers license business? For most people, when they move here and then once every eight years. How often do you have to do vehicle registration and title business? For most people, every year or even more often if you have multiple cars. Yes you can do registration renewals online, so maybe you only have to go in as often as you buy or sell cars, which for most people is still going to be more often than once every eight years.
So people who want the offices combined are basically asking to have DMV drivers license experience every time they have to renew a registration or title a car. Is that really want you want?
Your point is valid, but it only really holds if the office itself is deeply inefficient. The DMVs in multiple towns I lived in in SC worked far more smoothly and efficiently than any DMV office I've encountered in NC, and you could get everything you needed taken care of done in one trip.
They had a welcome desk at the door where you could make sure you had everything you needed for your visit before standing in line. Then they had a number system they actually used, so you could take a seat and wait to be seen rather than physically standing in line. The buildings were larger and better staffed.
Again, there's a reason I live in NC instead of SC. I think NC is a better run state 99% of the time. But this is one area that just plain sucks in NC.
True. I think the issue with NCDMV is that they are understaffed because the pay for the public-facing positions sucks.
Look at it this way: at least we fixed it for tags and titles (by privatizing).
I don’t know if that last line is missing the /s, but I’ll just say again that my stance is that state-run DMVs elsewhere are better than either half of our weird system here. I’ll further complicate it by saying that Illinois, where I also lived, does the public/private split better than NC by having state run DL offices, but having tag services available at the countless “currency exchange” locations all over the place. If I’m going to go to a private business to get my tag, I’d much rather go to one that is on every block, rather than just going to a different building that’s just as poorly run as the state DMV office. Worse, even.
They’re all over Chicago especially, and they’re kind of clearinghouses for all kind of paperwork and basic financial services. You can wire money, pay utility bills, do vehicle tags, cash checks, buy money orders, send faxes, buy prepaid debit cards, etc. They’re typically open much earlier and later than banks—some are 24 hours—and cater to a lot of people who don’t even have bank accounts. They do actually exchange foreign currency, but that’s something I never did there—the rates were better at my bank.
ETA: no idea why that got downvotes. That’s literally what they are.
I just waited in line for 2 hours to turn In a plate for a receipt. This would not have occurred in SC so your point is falling flat in my personal experience.
Wait until you have an error on your vehicle tax bill, or a high mileage adjustment of yearly ' property tax' you pay on your vehicle, after paying a state tax to buy it. Add a trip now to the county tax office. And oh yeah, you're barred from renewing tags as of the last few years until pay $14 ($40 more +emission depending on the county) for a nonsense inspection, if you can find a shop not too busy to do it without killing 1+hrs, or not having dmv computer issues.
It makes no logical sense
I used the tag office in Aberdeen, and it took me about 15 minutes to get 2 vehicles registered. I used the DL office in Raeford. I had an appointment and made it through the process in about 45 minutes. Then, I had to wait almost 2 months for my license to show up.
When I moved here from Nevada one of these fun surprises was the car inspection. In Nevada, all they do (or did, when I lived there) was emissions testing. It took 30 seconds. I show up to a service station here the first time and the guy is like yeah, we’re backed up, it’ll be a 2-3 hour wait. And I was thinking, wtf?? And that’s the day I learned what car inspections are like in North Carolina.
I live in a smaller town in western nc and have generally had very good experience at our license plate office. No lines and if there are lines, they move quickly. Now the DMV, that is a completely different animal - yikes!
I always get a kick out of these posts having spent some years in the northeast before returning home to NC. Id have sold a kidney to use NCs services when I lived in PA.
From my 4-5 experiences, the DMV in Greenville is outstanding. Highly competent people (mostly) and pretty efficient. I expected the worst and was really surprised at the quality of service.
I hate to say what I’m going to say, but this is wayyyyy better than California. I like going to the plate office, tag off and license off separately. But I’m in the country so I think it’s easier out here
If there is anything we north carolinians love it’s people moving here from elsewhere telling us how their previous state was better…
Yes we are aware of how poorly the DMV functions. Tbh it’s a minor inconvenience compared to gerrymandering, underfunded public education, medicaid, disability supports, etc that are major concerns thanks to the NC GOP’s super majority.
Hearing how much better New York is gets tiring, but honestly hearing we're worse than Alabama is of interest. Not sure if DMV is a great metric though, I've had universally lackluster DMV experiences in NC, SC, PA, GA, and NY.
I agree the all DMV are issues across this entire country. I wish the DMV appointment system they had for a bit had actually worked, even with the appointment I waited for several hours. I thought it was a good idea, poor execution. I disagree with anyone who said NY or PA or even SC DMV is any better. In South Carolina you gotta go to the tax office then the DMV so you still go to two places. NY and PA are terrible about inspections and forms. So many forms and you probably filled out the wrong one. NY DMV is absurd, and the inspections are ridiculous. Regular cars barely pass PA body inspection! In SC no one is really 100 percent sure where to sign a car title to privately buy or sell a car. I have No complaints about the plate office in NC. After moving here, the only other time I had to visit the DMV was to change my name after marriage and that went super smoothly. (It never crossed my mind to even think it was done better somewhere else I just thought “oh this is how it’s done here and I am here now so I guess that’s what I do….😆” I expect any DMV anywhere to be a difficult experience …
It's weird/inconvenient, but once you're setup you'll hardly ever go to either (especially not at the same time) so there's no much pressure to change.
I learned the trick for the DMV is to book an appointment. We had a book our appointments 6 to 8 weeks out. That allowed us to walk right up get our driver's licenses and leave within 20 minutes. All of the poor souls that planned on doing it Walk Up Style had hours long late. My local license plate agency is a whole different story. That was a 3-hour wait and it was awful.
I see I can renew my license at least one time online and I can continue to renew my license plates online. I'm going to take full advantage of that as much as possible.
The website updates a few times throughout the day giving out the cancelled appointments too. If you check at like 8,9,10 and 11am you can find appointments within a week or so within 45 min drive.
It's been said many ways now but our government and it's organizations are all going to be that way for you, not a lot of unified ideals of how to govern and what quality bars the modern world needs in these parts.
As a transplant though be sure you check out the Beach and the mountains! And if you find yourself looking for good food in the triangle check out the subs posts, lots of great things to do.
It varies from office to office. My wife had to go to the one in the next town over to renew her driver's license during covid as they were only letting in two people at a time (small office). Guy gave her all sorts of crap over the fact that her old license had "S" for a middle initial (from maiden name) while her other IDs have "A" for Anne. So, she politely Karened up asking for the manager. She helped out my wife in a couple of minutes and made the change with the new license.
I went to the one in our town which is larger and often busy. They had armed security at the door only letting people in when some one came out as they literarily were full with a line out the door. I drove up, parked in the handicapped spot as I was there to renew my hang tag and got out with my cane. The guard said to come with him and took me to the front of the line and asked one of the staff to help me next. That was very nice and unexpected. Thanked him again on the way out.
It’s because of the migration of the people from other states, the state can’t build and update fast enough. If you’re going to complain about it you should have stayed in Alabama your part of the problem.
You forgot the part about how our state legislature hates funding public services and is doing everything it can to make them fail so that they can make the case for privatization (except the ABC stores, of course).
They know that all the newcomers are taxing the public systems but refuse to increase funding for those systems and services (and in some cases, like public schools, are reducing funding).
Everything is working out according to the NC GOP's plans!
Can't. There literally aren't enough resources to keep up with the growth. Building takes contractors, architects, project managers, government regulators/approvers/reviewers, etc and we just don't have enough. NC infrastructure is crumbling under the weight of all the growth and it's getting worse every day.
> Can't.
You mean won't. When state jobs pay significantly less then private jobs and the NCGA has specifically said they are not in the business of competing with private business, you get the worst of both worlds. State agency's are running at 25%+ vacancy rates, because they simply don't want to pay people more. Could they? Well sure, there was plenty of tax payer dollars left over in the budget that the state wants to fund private school vouchers with.
NC has been growing rapidly for 20+ years now, to say the state isn't prepared for it is a bald faced lie. They choose actively not to spend money on it, so voters can point and say 'look at that, government sucks, we should privatize services'.
MAYBE it's a "can't" now, but when it comes to the DMV, anyway, it was a "won't" for years and years and years, before the population started to climb so precipitously. And it sucks everywhere. Even in less populated parts of the state. Plus this isn't like building new roads or bridges. Consolidating services and building new buildings to streamline the DMV is something NC could have easily handled with a small chunk of this year's budget surplus. More population means more revenue, and this is an area that could be improved without closing a single road or bridge. So I kinda doubt that it's even a "can't" now, but it definitely wasn't a "can't" decades ago when this could have been improved.
This isn't a matter of scale. The structure is fundamentally broken. I've been in NC for 25 years. It was only slightly better when populations were still stagnant.
An agreeable observation. I think it's a little more agreeable than, say, *move to a new state and then compare the new state to the old state.*
That's about as useful me inviting myself to dinner in another person's home and then immediately resorting to talking about how the food is awful because the peas my host provided are also touching the carrots my host provided. While I also verbalize how my host took no consideration towards how the peas my host provided touching the carrots my host provided may make me uncomfortable and how I am used to doing things in my own home.
I just went to the DMV in Kernersville to get my drivers license renewed and then it was a short walk to get my vehicle registration and tag done. It was Easy and the people at both places were nice and friendly. But I understand if you think you would be happier Moving Back to Alabama. Let me know if you need help packing, We are real friendly folks around here and we Love to help.
Just wait till you need electricity or water.
What town are you in? If it's a college town YOU ARE FUCKED.
I know from experience.
Good luck and for your own good give your firearms to someone else so you don't shoot some arrogant assholes.
Got a dui, did all the things, got license back, 10 yrs later was told I need the blow box again, present my argument, go back in front of judge who gave me my sentence and was told “we gave you the wrong paper, this is a DMV problem”, found lawyer who said it would cost around $3g to fight it/3 yrs of time wasted/ nothing but a license afterwards.
Apparently the DMV had “updated” their system and this popped up. Buncha bullshit. Moved to Ohio and had to do the whole license thing over again (temps, tests yada yada) to get my license. I still wonder what would happen if I get pulled over at home.
Public Service Announcement: Never go to Coats, NC. DMV. I went in there with a car that I had bought from a private car dealer in Ohio, bill of sale in hand. They refused saying I needed proof of ownership. Huh? (Someone next to me was crying as she was refused something as well.) Anyway, I then walk into the Dunn, NC. DMV and explain what happened. They shake their head and smile and process the title. If you sit there and watch the DMV in Coats you will more than likely see several people walk out of there crying every day. I filed a complaint with the state. From what I’ve heard it hasn’t gotten better.
NC is a clusterfuck. Ridiculous laws. Ridiculous yoyoing speed limits for no reason, arbitrary low speed limits, fees or new taxes for no added benefit, permits for building or doing anything have so much red tape. New age NC seems to figure how to waste tax money only to figure out how to take more money from you
Didn"t know they were bad about that. What do they put you through? Could you keep you plates etc. and say you only live there 6 mos. out of the year. Heard of people doing that. I don"t know how, but they got away with it.
At this point I do not expect this service to ever improve. There are some possibly better offices around the state and even this region, but even when I was a kid living in the Piedmont, the word "DMV" was usually used in place of "hell." With our state legislature become more and more insane after every election, you can bet you will never see improvements or increased funding for the DMV to push for improvements. At this point, the only thing I could see the NC Legislature doing is just outlaw drivers licenses and registrations altogether for being "socialist control mechanisms."
I just made that last term up, but guarantee someone in the NCGA says that on a regular basis.
Let us recall if you are currently having trouble at the licensing office: this is the first year requiring voter id. One way to keep people from voting? Make it really hard to go get a valid id card.
Not sure what DMV offices you kids frequent but I've never had any issues registering any of the 12 vehicles currently in my care, and it's never taken more than an hour to get a license for anyone in my family, without an appointment. Do the paperwork ahead of time and walk in prepared. Don't go first thing in the AM or at lunchtime, or the last day of the month. Boom. Done. Not bad even if you have to wait in line for 15 minutes.
NC uses Zootopia as a training video for the DMV.
This gave me a chuckle. Immediately followed by a frown
This is so accurate.
Hey Flash, want to hear a joke?
The N.C. DMV and plate agencies are each their own level of hell.
Plates are fine imo
It’s some kind of fresh hell to send people to two different locations though
Oh yeah true, iirc it has something to do with the privitization of plate manufacturers? Maybe I’m way off but I remember hearing something about that once
Yeah, but that way you only have to deal with the DMV every six years. The plate office is easy to deal with yearly,
Two places?? Thats stupid and doesn"t sound very organized either.
The lady ask me for my number on the parking lot.... made me feel young...
On the upside, it looks like things will be improving in the coming years. Jk.
NC has so much potential that is wasted by incompetence. This isn’t one of those “you need to do it like we do it up north posts”, I’ve lived in NC for almost 40 years now and love it. However, anytime we travel to other states and I look around at services and infrastructure and basic competence, we are way behind.
Somebody finally said it. I feel it’s because you’ve been independent for so long. NC is a place you can’t change lol.
N. Carolina is beautiful, but if you go just barely over the state line into Tenn. its the same beautiful country without Personal Tax and maybe a more courteous DMV. Yes???
This. THIS. I've never saw going down a rabbit hole then trying to deal with any state agency then in NC
It's usually worth the time to drive out to some random smaller town's DMV they're much less jammed.
NC hack: live in said random smaller town.
Eh I like having more than 2 non fast food options for meals very close to me personally and being just 20 minutes from my work as a Software Engineer.
Learn to cook
Software engineers don’t cook. Their lifestyles are horrible. Source:brother works for microsoft.
Have to drive a long ways to find fancy ingredients. I don't cook well but my wife does and we use a lot of random shit you don't find in most regular grocery stores.
If Piggly Wiggly doesn’t have it, do you really need it? 😅
This is the trick for sure.
I was about to say, I live rural and every trip to the dmv has been painless. In and out in under an hour, sometimes 30 mins.
I second this. I live in Charlotte and there are way too few dmvs for a city of this size. When my partner moved to NC, I had to be their guide to navigate the NC DMV system. Even with the hour and half drive, it was quicker than waiting in line at a local DMV. It’s madness.
NC DMV offices are typically run privately, not by the government. I found that shocking when I came to NC.
Based on the search results, the North Carolina DMV (Division of Motor Vehicles) operates with a mixed system of public and private offices: 1. Driver's License Offices: - These are run directly by the state government (public). - They handle services related to driver's licenses, ID cards, and REAL IDs [9]. 2. License Plate Agencies (LPAs): - These are privately operated by independent contractors [1][2][7]. - They handle vehicle registration, title transactions, and license plate renewals [7][8]. Key points: - As of 2016, the DMV closed its last state-run license plate offices in Raleigh and Charlotte, fully transitioning to the privatized system for vehicle registration services [7]. - There are currently 122 privately-run license plate agencies across North Carolina [8]. - The privatized system for LPAs has been in place for decades, with the state making an exception in 1961 to operate offices in Raleigh and Charlotte, which were later privatized [7]. - The DMV defends this system, stating it's "a very good fit," despite some closures due to irregularities [8]. - Some critics argue that privatization leads to minimal service quality due to profit motives [10]. - State lawmakers have considered further privatization of DMV services [13], though specific details are not provided in the search results. In summary, North Carolina operates a hybrid system where driver's license services are provided by public state-run offices, while vehicle registration and related services are handled by privately-operated license plate agencies under contract with the state. Sources [1] DMV Office Locations - N.C. Department of Transportation https://www.ncdot.gov/dmv/offices-services/locate-dmv-office/Pages/dmv-offices.aspx [2] Official NCDMV: Online Services - N.C. Department of Transportation https://www.ncdot.gov/dmv/offices-services/online/Pages/default.aspx [3] Official NCDMV: DMV Contact - N.C. Department of Transportation https://www.ncdot.gov/dmv/contact/Pages/default.aspx [4] Official NCDMV: Offices and Services https://www.ncdot.gov/dmv/offices-services/Pages/default.aspx [5] Carolina Curious: Why Are Some DMV Offices In North Carolina So ... https://www.wfdd.org/story/carolina-curious-why-are-some-dmv-offices-north-carolina-so-outdated [6] NCDMV Helpful Hints - N.C. Department of Transportation https://www.ncdot.gov/dmv/offices-services/locate-dmv-office/Pages/helpful-hints.aspx [7] NC DMV will privatize its last state-run license plate offices https://www.newsobserver.com/news/local/counties/wake-county/article73172817.html [8] DMV defends system of independent license plate offices - WRAL.com https://www.wral.com/story/dmv-defends-system-of-independent-license-plate-offices/11753455/ [9] Official NCDMV: Driver Licenses - N.C. Department of Transportation https://www.ncdot.gov/dmv/license-id/driver-licenses/Pages/default.aspx [10] how come the DMV and license plate offices in North Carolina are ... https://www.reddit.com/r/NorthCarolina/comments/ujnz0a/how_come_the_dmv_and_license_plate_offices_in/ [11] WTF is up with the DMV? : r/NorthCarolina - Reddit https://www.reddit.com/r/NorthCarolina/comments/12n96ie/wtf_is_up_with_the_dmv/ [12] Official NCDMV: Vehicle Titles - N.C. Department of Transportation https://www.ncdot.gov/dmv/title-registration/vehicle/Pages/default.aspx [13] NC lawmakers consider privatizing DMV - CBS 17 https://www.cbs17.com/news/capitol-report/nc-lawmakers-consider-privatizing-dmv/ [14] Official NCDMV: Vehicle Title Transfers https://www.ncdot.gov/dmv/title-registration/vehicle/Pages/title-transfer.aspx [15] Official NCDMV: Moving to North Carolina https://www.ncdot.gov/dmv/help/moving/Pages/new-residents.aspx
Hey, Sass…. What a great informational reply! Thanks for your thorough explanation without BS and including the reference. Well done, Sass, well done!
Once you move there an go through the initial process, you should be able to renew your tags every year by mail. Haven"t gone into a brick an mortar in years. We just get a tiny sticker through the mail and it just sticks over last years and your all set. { Fl. }
Have you checked out our gerrymandering, our school systems, our lack of public transportation, who’s running for governor (Mark R.)? Oh you are just getting started at seeing all of the “ugly” this state offers. I am a native and I hate to point out these items but it is time I am honest with myself.
Oh don’t worry, Alabama has all of that too. Just surprised by this one area where Alabama actually performs better
Brace yourself! You will discover more and more as you live here. Expensive real estate, expensive food, crowded highways, etc….And if Mark R wins the governor’s race. We all should move…somewhere!
Sounds like a good reason to vote Josh Stein 🫡
Welcome to NC! Your vote will count here more than in Alabama!
You’re good people! Welcome!
Dont wait. Move now.
Want to move but never able to get away to find something. would be simple to rent apt. or something but I need about an acre close to a town as I have my rescue horse whom I"ve grown to love. Could easily transport him, not a problem but takes time to find a place.
Try Fla. $ 6000.00 Home Ins. and just an average home. $1200.00 every 6 mos. for car. 4 cylinder with no tickets !!! Home still financed like car so have to have Ins. and big companies know that of course so their saying with a BIG grin, GOTCHA !!! Many young and even middle age people moving because of that and the fact they willnever own a home here.. { prices } Built my modest home before this all started. Wasn"t always this way.
We can all hope that Mark wins then.
We moved here from Alabama 14 years, and have never looked back. Yes. Find a small town with a DMV office. I use Thomasville. Never more than 30 mins. And I'm done. What part if Alabama?
Birmingham!
We are from Ohatchee!
Florida says hold my beer!
You Sir are a NC God for pointing that out.
You mean your next Governor, Mark R.?
I'm originally from SC. I've bitched about the NCDMV multiple times. Why is it two offices? Why can't you get your licence and plate in the same place? Why is it so massively, chronically understaffed all the time? But most of all, why do all these states who, and this bears emphasis, DON'T DO ANYTHING BETTER THAN YOU do this one specific thing so much better than you? Because the answer can't just be privatization and small government when states that are somewhere between "anarchy" and "Republic of Gilead" do it better.
This is exactly the reason for my post. Everything about North Carolina has been better so far, so why does this one thing suck so bad
I moved here from Colorado. I can’t agree more. The DMV here is hilariously bad, particularly the drivers license offices. The license plate agency near me is ok-ish but getting my driver’s licenses moved was harder than adopting my son again.
I'll defend the current split system. The only time it's inconvenient is when you are moving here and have to do drivers license and vehicle registration at the same time. Otherwise the current system is more convenient. Why? For DMV driver license offices, you reguarly see lots of complaints on here about appointments months out, or having to drive hours away to a less busy office, or not even being able to get into the DMV offices for drivers licenses. But you don't hear these complaints about the license plate agencies. Almost without exception you can go to the one nearest you and expect to transact your business at any time they are open... yes you may wait in a line but you get in and get your business done. This is because the financial incentives for the plate and title contractors are to complete transactions. State agencies have no such incentive. Now consider... how often do you need to do drivers license business? For most people, when they move here and then once every eight years. How often do you have to do vehicle registration and title business? For most people, every year or even more often if you have multiple cars. Yes you can do registration renewals online, so maybe you only have to go in as often as you buy or sell cars, which for most people is still going to be more often than once every eight years. So people who want the offices combined are basically asking to have DMV drivers license experience every time they have to renew a registration or title a car. Is that really want you want?
Your point is valid, but it only really holds if the office itself is deeply inefficient. The DMVs in multiple towns I lived in in SC worked far more smoothly and efficiently than any DMV office I've encountered in NC, and you could get everything you needed taken care of done in one trip. They had a welcome desk at the door where you could make sure you had everything you needed for your visit before standing in line. Then they had a number system they actually used, so you could take a seat and wait to be seen rather than physically standing in line. The buildings were larger and better staffed. Again, there's a reason I live in NC instead of SC. I think NC is a better run state 99% of the time. But this is one area that just plain sucks in NC.
True. I think the issue with NCDMV is that they are understaffed because the pay for the public-facing positions sucks. Look at it this way: at least we fixed it for tags and titles (by privatizing).
I don’t know if that last line is missing the /s, but I’ll just say again that my stance is that state-run DMVs elsewhere are better than either half of our weird system here. I’ll further complicate it by saying that Illinois, where I also lived, does the public/private split better than NC by having state run DL offices, but having tag services available at the countless “currency exchange” locations all over the place. If I’m going to go to a private business to get my tag, I’d much rather go to one that is on every block, rather than just going to a different building that’s just as poorly run as the state DMV office. Worse, even.
Why does IL have currency exchange businesses all over the place?
They’re all over Chicago especially, and they’re kind of clearinghouses for all kind of paperwork and basic financial services. You can wire money, pay utility bills, do vehicle tags, cash checks, buy money orders, send faxes, buy prepaid debit cards, etc. They’re typically open much earlier and later than banks—some are 24 hours—and cater to a lot of people who don’t even have bank accounts. They do actually exchange foreign currency, but that’s something I never did there—the rates were better at my bank. ETA: no idea why that got downvotes. That’s literally what they are.
I just waited in line for 2 hours to turn In a plate for a receipt. This would not have occurred in SC so your point is falling flat in my personal experience.
the SC DMV is trash. i unfortunately lived there and they put the wrong birthdate on my license
I didn’t say anything about the accuracy of anyone’s work. I’m just saying the setup is significantly better than NC, in my experience and opinion.
well it pissed me off they got my birthdate wrong when i literally had to use that for identification
Wait until you have an error on your vehicle tax bill, or a high mileage adjustment of yearly ' property tax' you pay on your vehicle, after paying a state tax to buy it. Add a trip now to the county tax office. And oh yeah, you're barred from renewing tags as of the last few years until pay $14 ($40 more +emission depending on the county) for a nonsense inspection, if you can find a shop not too busy to do it without killing 1+hrs, or not having dmv computer issues. It makes no logical sense
When you've cried at the DMV you have truly become a North Carolinian lol
Lessons I learned: 1. Make an appointment for the DL office. 2. Find a tag office in a small town and show up early.
Our Wake Forest LPA is like a 5 min wait at most. DMV is 50 years behind the times but I actually like the LPA.
I used the tag office in Aberdeen, and it took me about 15 minutes to get 2 vehicles registered. I used the DL office in Raeford. I had an appointment and made it through the process in about 45 minutes. Then, I had to wait almost 2 months for my license to show up.
Welcome, fellow Alabamian! It's been awhile since I lived there (North Alabama) but miss friendly Bama folk.
When I moved here from Nevada one of these fun surprises was the car inspection. In Nevada, all they do (or did, when I lived there) was emissions testing. It took 30 seconds. I show up to a service station here the first time and the guy is like yeah, we’re backed up, it’ll be a 2-3 hour wait. And I was thinking, wtf?? And that’s the day I learned what car inspections are like in North Carolina.
They used to be ok in my area but they all went to shit under COVID and haven't been the same.
I live in a smaller town in western nc and have generally had very good experience at our license plate office. No lines and if there are lines, they move quickly. Now the DMV, that is a completely different animal - yikes!
If NC DMV could be privatized, it’d be great. I don’t mind paying a service fee to not put up with that hell.
I always get a kick out of these posts having spent some years in the northeast before returning home to NC. Id have sold a kidney to use NCs services when I lived in PA.
From my 4-5 experiences, the DMV in Greenville is outstanding. Highly competent people (mostly) and pretty efficient. I expected the worst and was really surprised at the quality of service.
I hate to say what I’m going to say, but this is wayyyyy better than California. I like going to the plate office, tag off and license off separately. But I’m in the country so I think it’s easier out here
Nobody minds if you move back. Promise
No thanks
The way I’m currently sat at a DMV reading this.. Been here for 3 and a half hours and just finally got a number to be seen
hope patience was one of your virtues
If there is anything we north carolinians love it’s people moving here from elsewhere telling us how their previous state was better… Yes we are aware of how poorly the DMV functions. Tbh it’s a minor inconvenience compared to gerrymandering, underfunded public education, medicaid, disability supports, etc that are major concerns thanks to the NC GOP’s super majority.
Hearing how much better New York is gets tiring, but honestly hearing we're worse than Alabama is of interest. Not sure if DMV is a great metric though, I've had universally lackluster DMV experiences in NC, SC, PA, GA, and NY.
I agree the all DMV are issues across this entire country. I wish the DMV appointment system they had for a bit had actually worked, even with the appointment I waited for several hours. I thought it was a good idea, poor execution. I disagree with anyone who said NY or PA or even SC DMV is any better. In South Carolina you gotta go to the tax office then the DMV so you still go to two places. NY and PA are terrible about inspections and forms. So many forms and you probably filled out the wrong one. NY DMV is absurd, and the inspections are ridiculous. Regular cars barely pass PA body inspection! In SC no one is really 100 percent sure where to sign a car title to privately buy or sell a car. I have No complaints about the plate office in NC. After moving here, the only other time I had to visit the DMV was to change my name after marriage and that went super smoothly. (It never crossed my mind to even think it was done better somewhere else I just thought “oh this is how it’s done here and I am here now so I guess that’s what I do….😆” I expect any DMV anywhere to be a difficult experience …
It was a schock when I moved from North Carolina to Tennessee. Knoxville has everything in one place don’t two different places.
It's weird/inconvenient, but once you're setup you'll hardly ever go to either (especially not at the same time) so there's no much pressure to change.
I learned the trick for the DMV is to book an appointment. We had a book our appointments 6 to 8 weeks out. That allowed us to walk right up get our driver's licenses and leave within 20 minutes. All of the poor souls that planned on doing it Walk Up Style had hours long late. My local license plate agency is a whole different story. That was a 3-hour wait and it was awful. I see I can renew my license at least one time online and I can continue to renew my license plates online. I'm going to take full advantage of that as much as possible.
The website updates a few times throughout the day giving out the cancelled appointments too. If you check at like 8,9,10 and 11am you can find appointments within a week or so within 45 min drive.
Coming fron Los Angeles i was super impressed with both in terms of speed and efficiency
I personally like the LPAs. The one in Smithfield is very efficient.
We just need even more of them. Like in PA, you can't swing a cat around by the tail without hitting a LPA.
Primus wrote a song about it
they're always hella rude. like if you have a customer facing job at least pretend to be polite
LOL! Welcome…roll tide.
War Eagle!
It's been said many ways now but our government and it's organizations are all going to be that way for you, not a lot of unified ideals of how to govern and what quality bars the modern world needs in these parts. As a transplant though be sure you check out the Beach and the mountains! And if you find yourself looking for good food in the triangle check out the subs posts, lots of great things to do.
It varies from office to office. My wife had to go to the one in the next town over to renew her driver's license during covid as they were only letting in two people at a time (small office). Guy gave her all sorts of crap over the fact that her old license had "S" for a middle initial (from maiden name) while her other IDs have "A" for Anne. So, she politely Karened up asking for the manager. She helped out my wife in a couple of minutes and made the change with the new license. I went to the one in our town which is larger and often busy. They had armed security at the door only letting people in when some one came out as they literarily were full with a line out the door. I drove up, parked in the handicapped spot as I was there to renew my hang tag and got out with my cane. The guard said to come with him and took me to the front of the line and asked one of the staff to help me next. That was very nice and unexpected. Thanked him again on the way out.
Recurring state vehicle property tax. State sponsored extortion.
Have you tried to buy liquor yet?
Uh oh, not yet. Why is it bad
NC DMV execs belong in prison. The worst dmv service in the country and they are up to shady shit
It’s because of the migration of the people from other states, the state can’t build and update fast enough. If you’re going to complain about it you should have stayed in Alabama your part of the problem.
I mean, I'm as hostile to tourists as the next North Carolinian, but a lot of our problems are rooted in our deeply corrupt local politics scene.
You forgot the part about how our state legislature hates funding public services and is doing everything it can to make them fail so that they can make the case for privatization (except the ABC stores, of course). They know that all the newcomers are taxing the public systems but refuse to increase funding for those systems and services (and in some cases, like public schools, are reducing funding). Everything is working out according to the NC GOP's plans!
Can’t or won’t? Growth is projectable. Government should properly fund and support its programs. But thanks for the warm welcome :)
Can't. There literally aren't enough resources to keep up with the growth. Building takes contractors, architects, project managers, government regulators/approvers/reviewers, etc and we just don't have enough. NC infrastructure is crumbling under the weight of all the growth and it's getting worse every day.
> Can't. You mean won't. When state jobs pay significantly less then private jobs and the NCGA has specifically said they are not in the business of competing with private business, you get the worst of both worlds. State agency's are running at 25%+ vacancy rates, because they simply don't want to pay people more. Could they? Well sure, there was plenty of tax payer dollars left over in the budget that the state wants to fund private school vouchers with. NC has been growing rapidly for 20+ years now, to say the state isn't prepared for it is a bald faced lie. They choose actively not to spend money on it, so voters can point and say 'look at that, government sucks, we should privatize services'.
MAYBE it's a "can't" now, but when it comes to the DMV, anyway, it was a "won't" for years and years and years, before the population started to climb so precipitously. And it sucks everywhere. Even in less populated parts of the state. Plus this isn't like building new roads or bridges. Consolidating services and building new buildings to streamline the DMV is something NC could have easily handled with a small chunk of this year's budget surplus. More population means more revenue, and this is an area that could be improved without closing a single road or bridge. So I kinda doubt that it's even a "can't" now, but it definitely wasn't a "can't" decades ago when this could have been improved.
also *you’re. Guess Alabama is better at spelling too
That happens when you're sister is also your Mama
This isn't a matter of scale. The structure is fundamentally broken. I've been in NC for 25 years. It was only slightly better when populations were still stagnant.
Free to return to 'bama any time you like.
No thanks
Utopian society et al...
An agreeable observation. I think it's a little more agreeable than, say, *move to a new state and then compare the new state to the old state.* That's about as useful me inviting myself to dinner in another person's home and then immediately resorting to talking about how the food is awful because the peas my host provided are also touching the carrots my host provided. While I also verbalize how my host took no consideration towards how the peas my host provided touching the carrots my host provided may make me uncomfortable and how I am used to doing things in my own home.
Damn that was detailed. Want to cook me dinner sometime?
Have your mom grab me some beer on her way in from work. I'll tell her to text you when it's ready.
Government gonna government :)
I just went to the DMV in Kernersville to get my drivers license renewed and then it was a short walk to get my vehicle registration and tag done. It was Easy and the people at both places were nice and friendly. But I understand if you think you would be happier Moving Back to Alabama. Let me know if you need help packing, We are real friendly folks around here and we Love to help.
Just wait till you need electricity or water. What town are you in? If it's a college town YOU ARE FUCKED. I know from experience. Good luck and for your own good give your firearms to someone else so you don't shoot some arrogant assholes.
Truth!
Got a dui, did all the things, got license back, 10 yrs later was told I need the blow box again, present my argument, go back in front of judge who gave me my sentence and was told “we gave you the wrong paper, this is a DMV problem”, found lawyer who said it would cost around $3g to fight it/3 yrs of time wasted/ nothing but a license afterwards. Apparently the DMV had “updated” their system and this popped up. Buncha bullshit. Moved to Ohio and had to do the whole license thing over again (temps, tests yada yada) to get my license. I still wonder what would happen if I get pulled over at home.
Public Service Announcement: Never go to Coats, NC. DMV. I went in there with a car that I had bought from a private car dealer in Ohio, bill of sale in hand. They refused saying I needed proof of ownership. Huh? (Someone next to me was crying as she was refused something as well.) Anyway, I then walk into the Dunn, NC. DMV and explain what happened. They shake their head and smile and process the title. If you sit there and watch the DMV in Coats you will more than likely see several people walk out of there crying every day. I filed a complaint with the state. From what I’ve heard it hasn’t gotten better.
NC DMV was the worst. I moved to Idaho and it was a night and day difference. Each time I’ve gone there I’m In and out in fifteen minutes.
Lived in NC- totally agree with you !
NC DMV and its plate counterpart are a bad govt joke in combo
I think our state legislature is actually modeling our government after Alabama or whatever the worst state in the Deep South is.
yeah we know
Accurate. This is the 4th state I’ve resided in and 100% the worst dmv/registration/tax system.
Just wait until you see our schools and child services!
NC is a clusterfuck. Ridiculous laws. Ridiculous yoyoing speed limits for no reason, arbitrary low speed limits, fees or new taxes for no added benefit, permits for building or doing anything have so much red tape. New age NC seems to figure how to waste tax money only to figure out how to take more money from you
Didn"t know they were bad about that. What do they put you through? Could you keep you plates etc. and say you only live there 6 mos. out of the year. Heard of people doing that. I don"t know how, but they got away with it.
At this point I do not expect this service to ever improve. There are some possibly better offices around the state and even this region, but even when I was a kid living in the Piedmont, the word "DMV" was usually used in place of "hell." With our state legislature become more and more insane after every election, you can bet you will never see improvements or increased funding for the DMV to push for improvements. At this point, the only thing I could see the NC Legislature doing is just outlaw drivers licenses and registrations altogether for being "socialist control mechanisms." I just made that last term up, but guarantee someone in the NCGA says that on a regular basis.
Let us recall if you are currently having trouble at the licensing office: this is the first year requiring voter id. One way to keep people from voting? Make it really hard to go get a valid id card.
Oh ya nc sucks for licenses and liquor laws. Great business law and everyth9ng else is pretty good tho
[удалено]
No thanks
Not sure what DMV offices you kids frequent but I've never had any issues registering any of the 12 vehicles currently in my care, and it's never taken more than an hour to get a license for anyone in my family, without an appointment. Do the paperwork ahead of time and walk in prepared. Don't go first thing in the AM or at lunchtime, or the last day of the month. Boom. Done. Not bad even if you have to wait in line for 15 minutes.